


Calamity

by autumnstwilight (sewohayami)



Series: Calamity/Sanctum [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, F/M, One Shot, zelink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 19:50:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11539248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sewohayami/pseuds/autumnstwilight
Summary: There was nothing to hold back, nothing to keep in reserve. He would die, and so everything that he had in him would be offered up to this fight. Zelda was the last of them who could possibly triumph. She must be saved at all costs.Calamity Ganon rises, and Link struggles through chaos to fulfill his duty to protect Zelda, no matter what price must be paid.





	Calamity

**Author's Note:**

> Writing soundtrack: [Sakuzyo- I am "End"](https://youtu.be/hcrTEH8FLlo)

They ran.

Tears still streamed down Zelda's face. He wished that he could comfort her, but knew that was impossible. They were living a nightmare now, everything had been ripped away, leaving the two of them alone and adrift. His duty was to keep the princess safe, and he would devote himself to that task, even if all else was lost.

And so they ran, on and on through the woods, under the spreading darkness in the sky. His lungs were burning, and the princess gasped through her sobs, but raised no complaint. Thoughts raced through his mind, he knew this land and had traveled every corner. He had seen the enemy, milling in their hundreds as they overran the castle and the town, and he imagined how the lay of the land, the rivers, valleys and peaks would channel them. Their only chance was to stay one step ahead.

Kakariko was too close. The village was full of allies, and those who might even understand the machines, if they were still alive, but the risk was too great. The swarm had reached at least to the river, and they would not be long in crossing it, if they had not already. It would have to be Hateno.

The simplest way there was between the Dueling Peaks, to the south. All other routes required scaling mountains. If they made good time, they would reach the pass before the Guardians, and cross through into relative safety. The machines would be stalled by the soldiers stationed at Fort Hateno, and once they reached the Ancient Lab, they could enlist Purah in finding a way to regain control of the Guardians and Divine Beasts.

There was much that could go wrong, but it seemed the best option.

\---

He stood in the grounds of Hyrule Castle, sweating a little under his tunic. It was a warm day, and the sun was already high in the sky. The pale walls of the castle almost seemed to shine. His inauguration as the Champion of Hyrule was complete. Now he would commence training under the master of Hyrule's Royal Guard.

Swordsmanship was nothing new to him, his father had given him his first blade practicially as soon as he had been able to walk. Yet in this training, he would be pushed to limits he didn't know he had. The master expected things of him that he expected of no other man, and Link's streak of stubbornness ran deep.

Draw. Step. Strike. Parry. Counter.

These were the steps to the dance that he would perform over and over, until the sun sank below the horizon and his sword arm trembled uncontrollably each time he extended it. Each step must be executed with razor precision, unless he wanted to dance one hundred more times long after the sun had set.

Before long, the dance was a part of him, one that he could no more err on than saying his own name. And at last, he and the master attained a grudging and mutual respect.

"Boy, understand this. The battle is decided here, long before you face your opponent. Every moment of your suffering now is all for the sake of that time, the time when you will need everything within you. Protect our princess. I believe in you."

On one knee, Link bowed his head. That night, he danced well into the dark, though he was not ordered to do so.

\---

They left the cover of the forest, passing through scrub and field. They were vulnerable in the open, and so moved quickly between what defenses they could find, a hill here, long grass there, anything which might delay being spotted. They were running low on choices, and time.

They arrived on the banks of the river that led through the pass, and to his dismay, Link spotted the gleam of a Guardian skittering around the base of the Peaks. The vanguard had arrived in this place, and there was no way of knowing how many lay in wait. He felt Zelda tense behind him, squeezing his hand.

Crouching in the grass, he watched and waited. The Guardian he had spotted was making its way past the path, patrolling northward. He neither saw nor heard any sign of others. The longer they waited, the more dangerous it would become to chance the pass. He squeezed Zelda's hand back. Her eyes were fearful, but she nodded.

Before the patrolling Guardian could return, they made a break for the pass. The river raced beside them. He heard neither the whirrs and clanks of the Guardians nor the calls of the birds on the cliffs or the frogs in the river. There was only the silent, towering stone and the narrow space between. 

Together, they moved quickly and quietly, the soft sand of the riverbed dulling their footsteps. He listened intently, straining his senses for any sign of danger. It was too quiet here. He took no reassurance in it.

The red gleam and the noise came all at once.  _Above_ . The Guardian clung to the sheer face of the rock like a ghastly spider, before it released its grip and slid towards them with the shriek of metal on stone. Link spun to face it, Zelda's hand slipping from his as she stumbled backwards. The first beam struck the wet silt of the riverbank with a boiling hiss. The second followed with barely a moment to react, grazing his shoulder. His flesh sizzled and blistered. He barely kept his grip on his sword, already in his hand by sheer reflex. He twisted to avoid the third shot, and it was then that the pain hit him, blacking out his vision momentarily.

"RUN!"

Her green eyes still wild with shock, Zelda obeyed, and they bolted along the river side by side, light and flame erupting by their heels. At the end of the pass shone the dim light of the overcast day, and they ran, hearts hammering.

Their faint hope was soon dimmed by the shadows of the machines that emerged from the mist. Two emerged from the fog to block their exit, and beyond them were more distant shadows he was unable to count.

Red eyes illuminated, casting their bloody hue over the two Hylians. No way forward and no way back. The only way out was through.

Zelda faltered, and Link grasped her hand tightly, pulling her onward. It was mad, everything they were doing was mad, but sanity had done nothing to save the day. 

He leapt, his foot landing on the Guardian's body, pushing him higher into the air, the eye looking up at him as he smashed through it with his weight and the point of his blade, and clambered over its hulk as it slumped to the ground. Zelda caught up to him, slowing only a little to jump over the splayed metal legs. 

The Master Sword glowing in his hand, Link prepared to dance the dance he knew so well. As his strange partners appeared from the haze, he faced each one with cold precision. His feet were light on the ground, his entire body curled energy, ready to react.

He pivoted, his upward swing reflecting the beam of a Guardian back, its glassy eye sparking and melting. The next Guardian scrambled over it as it toppled, and he carried his momentum into a second strike that severed two of its legs. It began to tilt towards him, and again he charged, a step forward onto the body, pushing himself upwards, driving his weapon into the glaring eye.

He landed with effortless lightness to face his next opponent, his senses attuned to the enemies that now surrounded him. Again, he heard their voices rising in unison, and spun so perfectly as to reflect each of three beams back to their owners. He ran up one of the fallen turrets and launched himself at the next foe, his blade sliding through the shattering lens up to the hilt. As if in response to the Champion's soul, the sword glowed with an incorruptible light.

The wreckage of the fallen Guardians provided some precious cover for the princess, and he gestured to her to hide. Though she did so, he sensed her eyes following him, peeking out where she could rather than seek the safest position. There was no time to admonish her, and she would not have listened anyway.

Six more Guardians spread out in front of him, pacing warily. They were not just powerful beyond all known weapons, somehow these machines could think. He too, took a defensive stance, trying to size up what the next move of such an alien mind might be. He felt rain against his shoulders, and breathed deeply. The battle would be long and tiring. He must fight cautiously.

_Movement!_ A Guardian to his right charged forward, and he began to bring his sword to face it, when he was jerked roughly to the side. A second Guardian had caught his blade and was pulling him off balance. Behind him he heard the tell-tale sound of a beam preparing to fire. He dropped to the ground, pulling his sword in and towards him. The beam singed his hair as he dropped, blasting the Guardian that was charging towards him. Its great weight toppled forward and he rolled to the side. A clawed metal foot thrust into the soft earth a breath from his head. Frantically, he leapt to his feet. Another volley of laser blasts seared through the air, the barest of misses as he struggled to keep up with the onslaught. Fatigue was beginning to slow him, and he gathered all his focus as he prepared to reflect the next blast-his shoulder burned and-  _where was the one behind him?_

A clawed limb caught his side with the force of a falling tree, and he felt his lower ribs snap. Sharp metal tore through flesh and blood began to soak into his tunic. He breathed in pure agony, but he could not lower his guard. He sidestepped the blast that followed, and barely caught the next blow with his sword. He stumbled backwards, and the weight of the Guardian's foot forced him to the ground. His sword lingered inches from his throat, held up only by his trembling arms. From above, the beam of red light seared his eyes.

Gasping, he pushed with all his strength and toppled the Guardian. Its hind legs slipped in the mud, and before it could regain its footing, he tore open its exposed underbelly. It hissed and tottered, sliding into the ooze.

Once again, he dragged himself to his feet, sizing up the opponents around him. 

The Guardians skittered in and out of the reach of his sword arm, trying to tempt him into hopeless swings, threatening with their spidery limbs. It was almost as if they had begun to toy with him. He took a step back, trying to keep all of his opponents within his field of vision. Another Guardian raked its claws downwards towards his head, and he caught its foot with his blade, arms shaking under the force. The blood trickling into his boot was sticky and wet, and his foot slid in the treacherous mud. 

He broke contact, stumbling back, his clothes singed by another beam that came from somewhere on his right. He pressed forward, striking back. His limbs were heavy as wet clay, and his swings were sloppy. He managed to take a leg off one of the Guardians, its eye immediately fixed on him, and he felt the heat graze him. They did not give him a moment's rest, forcing him to defend again and again. There was little to be seen of his precise footwork, he staggered and swayed. 

Too slow, he parried, and the claws of a Guardian clipped his face. Blood and sweat stung his eyes, half-blinding him. He heard it and turned, another metallic limb slammed into his head and he sprawled across the ground. Behind him, he could hear another Guardian lining up its sights. His vision hazy, he struggled to his hands and knees, and dodged, rolling to the side just as the blue flash scorched the earth where he had been.

On the ground, he once again grasped the hilt of the sword with clammy hands. The Guardian stepped closer, and he forced himself to his uncertain feet. Once again, he blocked the claws that bore down upon him. The impact of his sword on the metal sent agony up to his shoulder. Two more limbs came from either side, aiming to crush his torso. He dropped to the ground, rolling underneath the machine, sending his blade up through the maze of metal on its belly. He heard something inside it whir to a stop.

With great exertion, he tilted the Guardian enough to crawl out from underneath, and staggered to his feet.

\---

"Are you ready to die for the princess?" 

Down on one knee, he promised, "Yes".

"Do you truly understand what that means? I see it in your eyes, you are young and full of energy. You will certainly fight with all your strength to live. But if the time ever comes when that strength is not enough, when death is certain, will you still fight with all you have? Even if it may all be for nothing?"

"Yes," he said, a little quieter than before. 

He hadn't dwelt on the possibility of death, hadn't thought it useful to follow those thoughts where they led. If he was honest with himself, in all his imaginings, no matter how hard the battle might be, all of them would be together at the end to taste the victory. The other possibilities never seemed real. Could they truly happen?

The master was right. If he truly swore to uphold the duty of the Champion, it must be done with full comprehension of what that duty entailed. His life was no longer his, should the princess have need of it.

\---

The Master Sword felt slippery in his grip, the hilt warm and wet. He had never seen so much blood on the blade, it always kept itself clean of enemy blood, no matter how many times he plunged it into monstrous flesh. And the enemies before him, all metal and glass, had no flesh.

_My blood._

The realization cut through the haze beginning to cloud his mind. A strange clarity overtook him.

_This is where I die._

A second feeling rushed up inside of him. His life was forfeit. He let go of his future. The idea of returning home, or having a home to return to. His childish fantasy that he would kiss Zelda when this was all over. The tenuous dream that somewhere, somehow they would be together, never to be separated again.

There was nothing to hold back, nothing to keep in reserve. He would die, and so everything that he had in him would be offered up to this fight. Zelda was the last of them who could possibly triumph. She must be saved at all costs.

The scream seemed to come from inside him and around him, a wild animal noise of rage and grief. He charged forward, cleaving the limbs from the Guardians, shattering their whirring lenses, thrusting the sword up into their guts and bolts. The Master Sword shrieked, metal on metal, the force sending shards from the blade as its power ebbed. He would never use it again. Let it shatter, if only it would save her.

He felt as though everything inside him were coming undone. Memory, feeling and thought rushed through him, flowing into every desperate attack.

The rush of the wind as a familiar silhouette ascended into the sky.

For Revali.

The ache in his back after a friendly clap on the shoulder from a Goron.

For Daruk.

The sight of lightning dancing across a clear desert sky.

For Urbossa.

The touch of a soft hand on his arm, taking away his pain.

For... Mipha...

The eye of a Guardian shattered under a flurry of stabs. Behind him, he heard another charging its weapon and spun, severing a limb. Sunlight, and the princess riding beside him. He drew strength from it. The Guardian teetered off balance and he leapt for it, smashing its gleaming eye with his dulled blade.

A single flower on a hillside, almost as beautiful as the girl beside it. White petals and a white dress. He would soak himself in blood that they could stay forever pure. Metal claws carved a gash in his arm, but he barely noticed the pain, and his blade struck home.

Her face in anger. Her face in sorrow. Her face in determination. Her face as she slept. Every moment, no matter how simple, was a treasure to him now. One by one, he parted with them willingly, in exchange for just a little more strength. The battle broke over him like waves in a storm, his breath would not come to him. Blood was on his hands, in his eyes, in his throat, choking him, the copper taste on his tongue.

He saw her there, bloodied but still safe. The burning husks of Guardians surrounded her, but he could hear the creaking footsteps of others, and just make out their glow in his hazy vision. His legs buckled under him, and she ran to his side.

Her voice was faint, as though she were somewhere very distant. Telling him to save himself. She didn't understand that he could not. The wild energy was still in him, screaming to continue the fight, but his body followed it so slowly now. 

There was a terrible metallic scraping, as a Guardian clambered over the piled wreckage of its kin. He tried to summon up anything that was left in him, pushing his dulled sword into the mud, forcing his shuddering legs to stand. The great eye of the Guardian fixed upon them, the red light blinding at point blank range. He offered up his beaten body to take the impact, all that he had left. In that moment, he felt-

He felt her push forward, too sudden for him to stop.

The red light was replaced by a brilliant golden glow, indescribably beautiful. For just an instant, it seemed to illuminate everything, the vastness of the world, past, present and future. It was as if the face of Hylia had appeared before him, the maker and unmaker of fates, and told him that he had done all that was needed. That from here, time would ripple like water, flowing out until everything was as it should be.

Warm arms were wrapped around him, supporting him. He could no longer make out the face of the girl above him, but she appeared painfully sad. He wanted to reach out and touch her, tell her that everything was going to be okay, but neither his lips nor his arms obeyed him.

In her embrace, he fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
